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High King
THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH KING An office established over a thousand years ago, after the event known as the Day of the Red Sky and Eluvian war, the High King acts as international peacekeeper and judge, ensuring that tensions across Dantir do not once again devolve into catastrophic bloodshed. The role has traditionally been a heritable position, but only ever for three generation of any one family. At the death or retirement of the third in the dynasty the nations must vote on who should take on the role, ensuring that there will be little disruption to the office in each century, but that no one family or nation can seek to gain too much power by abusing it. The High King usually also gives up any claim to power within his own nation so as not to be accused of self-interest, although not all dynasties have adhered to this. Based in the neutral city of Caeatten, the court of the High King consists of ambassadors and functionaries from each of the nations. Here negotiations over trade are common, disputes over border placement and resource access can be settled and other talks on matters that transcend borders occur on a daily basis. Caeatten is supplied by all nations through tithing to office High King, though the city is also a major hub for private trade. The court also hosts the Council of Nations when it meets. The Council of Nations only formerly meets when a new High King is to be chosen. Each nation has one vote, and the right to nominate one candidate. The candidate themselves does not have to be a leader or noble from the nation he represents, but often they are an outstanding leader or general who has the support of the leadership of their nation. The Council remains in closed voting until a clear majority is reached for a single candidate (now five of nine votes). Often this takes days, and even months of negotiations have been recorded. Officially the deals offered as part of these negotiations are not made public, but most know that matters of trade, border movement, access to resources, military support and even gold have been used to help sway a vote one way or another. Once appointed the candidate rules for the remainder of his life, as does his child and grandchild. At the grandchild’s death the Council will form again and a new candidate will be chosen. Every nation tithes armsmen as well as goods to the High King, forming the basis of the armed forces. This army has been present ever since the Sauger alliance during the Eluvian war, though its numbers and structure often changes under the rule of each High King. The force is meant to be independent of any one nation’s influence, and used to intervene in cross border disputes, or occasionally to assist with internal difficulties of a non-political nature (e.g. orax invasions, natural disaster etc.). For the term of their service (dictated by their home nation) the soldiers are at the sole command of the High King, and cannot act on any orders received from their home command. They cannot be used on their home territory though, so whenever the army is directed to intervene a particular nation the soldiers of that nation are left out of the event. Some armsmen volunteer for the forces of the High King, signing on as private soldiers separate from those tithed by nations. These mercenaries are not always well regarded by the tithed servicemen of the army as they are seen as serving only for money, not duty. Mercenaries can serve for any number of years as they choose, while tithed soldiers are rotated by their nations and are only in service of the High King for a few years at most. The High King’s responsibilities and restrictions have become fairly specific over the centuries, and though they have been broken on occasion each King is still held to the same rules.  The High King may only intervene in events or politics where two or more nations are concerned. He cannot interfere in internal difficulties, rebellions or coups. He is free to use the troops at his command to stop hostilities, but cannot force troops to act against those of their own nation.  The High King can send forces or aid in the form of goods or gold when requested by any government to assist with non-political difficulties (natural disasters or major devastation). This is only at the discretion of the King, and not every request is granted. Usually the King will wait until the disturbance affects two or more nations so as not to be accused of internal interference. 66  Anyone can petition the High King on matters of justice or dispute, provided the matter is cross-border or outside the jurisdiction of any one nation. Historical examples include crimes committed on unclaimed lands, claims of islands or waterways, accusations of raiding by neighboring countries, evasion of fees on import/exports, or ranging banditry. The Legend of the first High King: Over a thousand years ago the lands of Dantir were forever changed by the appearance of the Eluvian, Drummon, orax and goblins, all creatures that no older legend mentions in any form. The conflict that followed lasted generations; many Sauger were driven from their lands by these strange beings, and many more were slaughtered in raids made from the stolen strongholds the creatures inhabited. Initially each nation fought back to defend its people and borders where they could, and soon these Sauger armies found themselves fighting side-by-side against a new common enemy. Where once they had raided each other for livestock or new land these fighters now agreed that the strange interlopers were more worthy of resistance. Much of Randwelt land was taken by the strangers and hence much of their army found themselves pushed back into traditional Toraneyan and Kenaani territory, disconnected from the leadership of their southern generals. These newly joined armies needed to co-ordinate their efforts or be obliterated by the bizarre magics of their enemy, and many of their officers were able to find consensus. While their national leadership may have disagreed with not only allowing foreign armed men into their territory but providing them with supplies and support, the front line officers were able to ignore most orders in favour of creating the strongest resistance to the invaders as they could. Thus the huge numbers of Toraneyan militia were bolstered by the expertise of the Kenaani armsmen and horsemen, and fronted by the remaining knights and infantry of the Randwelt forces. One of the knights of Randwelt, Jeroen of Elsen, distinguished himself in these battles, and gained enough respect from each force to be named as their general. But in battle after battle the combined army could not push back the Drummon and Eluvian, who were by now bolstered by Sauger forces from the Septorian Empire. Jeroen recognized that no headway could be made without further help, and travelled with a small force through the mountains to call on the formidable might of the Jorgenwyld warriors. The Jorgenwyld had experienced only a small amount of conflict with the invaders, mostly the brutish orax and stout Drummon along their western border. The territory of the reclusive Topacoatl lay between Jorgenwyld and the plains of Randwelt, and they had little interest in the plight of the western nations. To gain the assistance of the Jorgenwyld, Jeroen was forced to challenge their bravery directly, which was taken as a challenge for leadership. Jeroen fought the Hoog-Bloodheer in single combat and shocked all present by defeating him. By Jorgenwyld tradition this made the foreign general leader of the whole nation, and he was able to command their warriors to attack from the west across the mountains. Jeroen continued south with his small force, to meet up with the armies defending what remained of southern Randwelt. An attempt to engage the Topacoatl in the same attack failed utterly, as travelling through it was obvious they had suffered greatly from the invasion and had coordinated no defenses. Orax raiders roamed freely there, burning what they could not control or carry away. Many of the cities of the Topacoatl were abandoned, while others simple shot at any who tried to approach and made communication impossible. The Topacoatl never recovered from this devastation, and by the time peace was restored in Dantir, their nation was nothing more than ruin and burnt wasteland. In Randwelt Jeroen ignored his king’s orders to report to the capital, and instead met with the officers on the front line. With forces now pressing in from the north and east he led the remaining army north, and managed to break between the two forces of Eluvia and Drummon. Split in two and now facing armies from four surrounding nations both sides offered truce to avert catastrophic bloodshed. Jeroen and his multination leadership met with representatives from both the Eluvian and Drummon. The Eluvian and Drummon confirmed that they were not savage as were the orax and grendlers, and had a 67 genuine interest in the end to the fighting. By now the Eluvian spoke the language of the Septorians, and finally peace negotiations were able to begin. It was the generals and soldiers of the front lines who arranged matters, not the various leaders of the nations, which was to create some problems for the soldiers on their return home. But the Eluvian and Drummon each spoke with one voice, and it seemed that someone needed to speak on behalf of the Sauger. Jeroen was nominated by his officers to decide on behalf of all nations, as of those present Randwelt having lost the most from the conflict. The summit resulted in the redrawing of maps and borders, with the Drummon and Eluvian being seceded the territories they had now lived in for a few generations. The all agreed the orax and grendlers would be given no succor and destroyed wherever they were found. Jeroen kept a portion of the united armies to oversee the new borders and released the others back to their homes. Over the following years each nation sent replacements to the new front; and Jeroen used his control of the Jorgenwyld warriors to drive out the grendlers and orax from what land they could. Neither could be exterminated entirely, and the orax fled across the central mountains toward Kenaan. Evermore they have roamed the northeastern wastes, raiding the Jorgenwyld and Kenaani and Drummon without mercy or respite. The grendlers went to ground across all central Dantir and are wont to reappear in the lands of Eluvia, Randwelt, Septoria and Drummon, sometimes even further afield. Jeroen remained in charge of the armies for the rest of his life, with the lands he once called home now claimed by Eluvia. His sons were raised as soldiers alongside him, and on his death Petar, his eldest living heir took over his role as leader to the combined forces. The Eluvian and Drummon continued to come to Petar to resolve disputes between themselves or their neighboring Sauger, until he came to establish a home and stronghold on the field that had once hosted the peace negotiations. This place became over many years the city of Caeatten. The leadership of each nation sent their representatives to him that they might more readily discuss cross border affairs, and so a court of all nations was established. For several decades Petar oversaw this court, until failing health saw need to pass on his role to another. He again nominated his son to replace him, and it was generally agreed that this position needed not only to continue but to be recognized by each nation. The title and duties of the High King were developed and recorded, and Aldis of Randwelt was named as the first High King. In recognition of the work his father and grandfather had done in creating first the peace and then the court Aldis ordered that they too be remembered under the title of High King, and so the first dynasty is dated from the time of Jeroen. Aldis died only twelve years later, with his own children still too young to inherit such a difficult role. So the court chose from its own ranks a replacement from Toraneya, someone respected by all. His son inherited the position from him, but plague saw the death of the grandson and both his heirs. Again the court had to choose a new King, and the third dynasty began. Almost a century later the fourth dynasty was chosen as it now seemed a tradition that no nation should hold the title for more than three generations. Ever since the title has been passed on after the second heir, sometimes with reluctance but only once by force. Category:History Category:High King